Folding clothes rack



Jan. 6, 1942. w. PLACE ET AL FOLDING CLOTHES RACK Filed May 18, 1940 Fig-i Inventors: Les W. Place Edward I John.

NEtorne Patented Jan. 6, 1942 FOLDING CLOTHES RACK Les W. Place and Edward '1. John; Minneapolis, Minn., assignors to The'J. R. Clark Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporationv Application May 18, 1940, Serial No. 335.950 3 Claims. (01. 248-171) Our invention relates to folding clothes racks andhas for its principal object to provide means for easily and conveniently effecting the closing together of a folding clothes rack and of hanging the same as upon a hook when in folded condition. a

For use in bath rooms or other rooms of a house it is frequently desirable to have a hanging rack with suitable means for erecting it and putting it in operating position and at the same time capable of being folded so as to occupy but little space.

Heretofore it has been proposed to provide such a rack wherein two members are secured in parallel relation to ends of a central post with a three point supporting leg construction adapted to be held in closed or open position by the lower member, a series of clothes bars adapted to be supported in hanging or extended position upon the upper member and a follower plate on said post connected with said supporting legs adapted to occupy positions toward the bottom of said post when the legs are extended for support and toward the top thereof Whenthey are folded together. I It is a particular object of our invention to provide means for conveniently operating upon said follower so that when the same is at the bottom of the standard or post and the legs are extended for supporting the clothes hanger, by

part of a closet where it remains out of the way and in a condition where it cannot be tipped over or cause annoyance.

The full objects and advantages of our invention will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof now to be given, and

its novel features by which they aforesaid advantageous results are obtained are particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation View of the clothes hanger with the parts in folded or compacted position; l

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but wherein the parts have been arranged so that the legs are spread in position to support the apparatus; 55

Fig. 3 is a top plan view with the parts as shown in Fig. 2; a

Fig. 4- is a sectional view taken on line 4 l of Fig. 2; g

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 6 is a part sectional view showing the manner in which the central standard is secured in position. r e e As shown a central standard in of wood or other suitable material is secured at its top as taken on line 5- 5 indicated at H to a circular holdermember l2.

As clearly shown in Fig.3, the member I2 is provided with a multiplicity of radial slots l3 in which are mounted a corresponding number of hanger bars 14 each provided with top and bottom protruding members l5 and I6 respectively, which may be metallic rings pressed into position upon the bars l4 and which prevent the bars I '4 from being removed from the slots. As shown in Fig. 1 the bars II are "hanging in a vertical position being held by, the rings I5 above slots l3. When it is desired. to extend'the bars for hanging, as indicated in dotted lines at I! in Fig. 2, it is only necessary to pull "them up until the lower rings l6 contact the under sides of slots l3 and permit the hanging bars to fall readily outwardly, so there will be a radially disposed wheel of hanger bars extending outwardly like the spokes of a wagon wheel'from the supporting member I2 and prevented from separation from said supporting member by reason of theringsv l6 engaging the under sides of slots l3.

The bottom of the post l0 'isisecured to a bottom member l8, shown in detail in Fig.96. This member will preferably be stamped out of sheet metal with a series of retaining lips,- |9 punched out of the metal to receive the lower'end of the post Ill which will be secured in position ,by means of a screw 20. The member [8 isprovided with three symmetrically positioned extensions 2I, 22, 23,'see Fig. ,4, each formed with an elongated rectangular opening 25. Through these openings 25, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 4, extend three legs 26, 21 and 28 which are rectangular in cross section, of the same shape "as the openings 25, but somewhat smaller. As shown in- Figs. 1, 2 and 5,'a follower plate 29 is provided with three openings 30 relatively corresponding in size and position with'the openings 25 in bottom plate 18. The ends 3|, 32 and 33 of the legs 23, 21 and 28 extend throughthe' holes 25 in position to engage-and bind on post H). as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Notches 34 in legs 28, 21 and 28 engage the outside edges of holes 30 in the follower plate 29, so that in effect the legs 26, 21 and 23 are hinged upon the follower plate 29 by means of the coaction of the notches 34 formed on the legs and the holes 30 formed in plate 29.

With the above construction it will be apparent that it will only be necessary to take hold of the upper member 12 with the hands and lift on it and the legs 26, 21 and 28 will fall downward, their upper ends moving with the follower plate 29 and their lower ends expanding outwardly through holes 25 of bottom plate l8 so that by this means the legs 26, 21 and 28 are expanded outwardly, as shown in Fig. 2. These legs, held by the plate l8 and thrusting against the post I0, become in effect an adjusted tripod for holding the assemblage erected, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. When so erected the bars [4 may be lifted up and allowed to spread out, as at IT, and the device is in condition for hanging clothes.

The above arrangement of elements'is or may be in accordance with known practice. When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2, great difficulty has been experienced in closing the parts together as in Fig. 1. This has been effected in the past by trying to get the fingers upon the follower plate 29, see Fig. 2, and lifting up on it. On account of the numerous hanger bars 14 and the folding together of legs 21, this has been fraught with very considerable difficulty and at the same time has frequently occasioned injuries to the fingers since the descent of the post [0 and of the top member l2 may be very rapid. Our improvements have to do with meeting this difficulty.

For this purpose a rod 33 extends through an opening 31 in the top member I2 and through a second opening 38 'in the follower member 29. The lower end of the rod 36 is formed with a loop 40 which surrounds the post Ill, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The upper end of rod 36 is provided with a hook dl which is open as indicated to enable the rod to be inserted through the holes 31 and 38 in the top member 12 and follower member 29 respectively. A catch member 42 on the side of rod 38 may be employed for a purpose hereinafter to be given.

It will be noted that the loop M), as clearly shown, comes directly below follower plate 29. It follows that when the hook M is engaged by a finger and the assemblage of Fig. 2 is lifted, the ring or loop 40 on rod 36 will engage the bottom of follower plate 29 with the result that this plate and the legs 26, 2'! and 28 attached to it will be lifted. This will break the gripping action of the ends 3!, 32 and 33 of said legs upon the sides of post H] with the result that the post and all the parts carried thereby, including the upper plate l2 and. the lower plate 18, will descend, the legs folding together during the descent until the construction takes the position shown in Fig. 1. This will take place instantaneously. The folded assemblage, as of Fig. 1, can then be hung in a closet by passing the hook 4| over a closet hook. This hanging may be done with the hook fully extended, as in Fig. 1, or if it is desired to hang it in shorter relation, the rod 36 may be turned so that the catch 42 will come under the follower plate 29, as indicated in dotted lines at 44 in Fig. 1, and the assemblage may be hung with the hook in the dotted line position.

The advantages of our invention will be apparent from the above noted description. form of folding hanger above outlined will be made much more practically convenient and useable by reason of the fact that Whenever it is desired to bring it into the folded assemblage of Fig. 1, it is only necessary to lift up on the hook member 4| formed on rod 35 and the parts will immediately come together as shown in Fig. 1 and thereafter the assemblage may be hung upon a hook in a closet or other place so as not to be liable to be knocked over and where it can easily be taken off for use when that is desired.

We claim:

1. In a folding clothes hanger of the type shown and described, a central post having plates attached to the top and bottom ends thereof, a follower plate adapted to slide along said post, tripod leg supports extending through openings in the bottom end plate and having a movable union with the follower plate whereby the ends of said leg supports are held to engage the surface of the post and hold it in adjusted positions of elevation, and means movable freely through said top plate and adapted to have connection with the follower plate, whereby when lifting force is applied to said means it will thereby be transmitted to the follower plate and lifting thereof will cause the legs to be released so that the legs may restore themselves by gravity to folded position.

2. In a folding clothes hanger of the type shown and described, a central post having plates attached to the top and bottom ends thereof, a follower plate adapted to slide along said post, tripod leg supports extending through openings in the bottom end plate and having a movable union with the follower plate whereby the ends of said leg supports are held to engage the surface of the post and hold it in adjusted positions of elevation, a rod mounted to move freely through said top plate and extending along the post and through said follower plate, and a loop on the rod adapted to engage underneath the follower plate around the post whereby when lifting force is applied to said rod it will thereby be transmitted to. the follower plate and lifting thereof will cause the legs to be released so that the legs may restore themselves by gravity to folded position.

3. In a folding clothes hanger of the type shown and described, a central post having plates attached to the top and bottom ends thereof, a follower plate adapted to slide along said post, tripod leg supports extending through openings in the bottom end plate and having a movable union with the follower plate whereby the ends of said leg supports are held to engage the surface of the post and hold it in adjusted positions of elevation, a rod mounted to move freely through said top plate and extending along the post and through the follower plate, a loop on the rod adapted to engage underneath the follower plate around said central post, and a hook on the upper end of the rod, whereby when the rod is lifted by the hook the lifting force will be transmitted to the follower plate and lifting thereof will cause the legs to be released so that the legs may restore themselves by gravity to folded position, said hook providing means for supporting the assemblage in its folded position from a closet hook or other supporting member.

LES W. PLACE. EDWARD T. JOHN.

The 

